Alternative Vehicle Initiatives Rev Up at Ford, General Motors

September 7, 2011

Ford and GM are planning to add new alternative fuel vehicles to their existing fleets. The GM fleet currently includes the Chevrolet Volt, shown here with a replica of its battery pack.Credit: GM Corp.

The Ford Motor Company and General Motors (GM) will pursue separate new initiatives to further develop their respective alternative vehicles. Ford announced on August 22 that it will collaborate equally with Toyota Motor Corporation on an advanced new hybrid system for light trucks and SUVs. Then, GM announced on August 25 that it will team with Korea-based industrial LG Group to jointly design and engineer future electric vehicles LG is a battery cell supplier for the extended-range electric vehicle (EV) Chevrolet Volt.

The Ford-Toyota partnership will focus on a hybrid powertrain for greater fuel efficiency to a new group of truck and SUV customers. The system could be ready for use later this decade on rear-wheel drive vehicles. The carmakers will independently integrate the new hybrid system in their future vehicles. See the Ford press release.

GM expects to expand the number and types of EVs it makes and sells by using LG's proven expertise in batteries and other systems. Teams of GM and LG engineers will work on key components, as well as vehicle structures and architectures. Vehicles resulting from the partnership will be sold in many countries. See the GM press release.